Troy Deeney says that Watford took inspiration from Manchester United fan Tyson Fury to deliver a knock-out blow to Liverpool's hopes of completing the Premier League season undefeated.
Although a 22-point lead at the summit ensures the Reds remain firmly on course for their first League Championship in 30 years with just four more wins needed to clinch the title, their 44-game, 422-day unbeaten run came to a dramatic halt on Saturday evening as they suffered an emphatic 3-0 defeat at Vicarage Road to a Watford side that went into the contest inside the relegation zone.
Hornets captain Deeney, whose 72nd minute goal completed the rout, revealed that he and his team-mates had taken inspiration from Wythenshawe-born boxer Fury, who back in December 2018 declared that he wanted his Deontay Wilder rematch to be staged at Old Trafford.
Despite being the underdog, the self-styled 'Gypsy King' went on the attack from the start to inflict a shock defeat on American Wilder in Las Vegas to secure the WBC heavyweight world championship just a week earlier.
Quoted by the Daily Mail , Deeney said: “We took heed from Tyson Fury.
“We thought we're going to go on the front foot and have it out with them. We were good and they were a little bit off.
“Let's not act like they were at their best. We took our chances and I don't know what more to say. I don't want to be disrespectful to them.”
The 31-year-old hit his sixth goal of the season after Trent Alexander-Arnold had gifted possession to Ismaila Sarr but admitted ending Liverpool's run will count for nothing if Watford fail to avoid relegation – the win took them out of the drop zone on goal difference.
Deeney added: "It's three points. We don't get an extra point for beating Liverpool or (look at it as though) now we're out of the bottom three, that's it, we're done.
“There's 10 games and we've got to graft away. It is what it is. I won't look at this game in two months' time if we're relegated and go, 'Oh, remember that game against Liverpool'.”
